The issue with the “Boris Bikes” began affecting commuters on Thursday morning, and though the cause of the problem was at first unclear TFL has confirmed to Pocket-lint that the issue did indeed lie with O2, after Serco, the contractor who operates the scheme, alerted them.

"Serco are reporting issues with a number of on-street terminals that are unable to connect to the server to process hires this morning,” Nick Aldworth, Barclays Cycle Hire general manager, told Pocket-lint.

“Serco have spoken to O2 who have confirmed the issue is connected to the wider O2 network problem. Members and users with a valid access period are able to continue to hire a bike as normal. Serco are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible."

The reason the Barclays Cycle Hire stations were affected is because the terminals use the O2 network to process customers' card payments.

TFL told Pocket-lint that although around 100 terminals were initially affected, the problem was being resolved so that number was reducing.

Were you unable to hire a Boris Bike this morning? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.